Women's Champions League: St. Pölten vs Barcelona facts

Rampant Barcelona take on St. Pölten in Vienna on 21 November after putting seven goals past the Austrian side in their first UEFA Women's Champions League Group D fixture.

St. Pölten are still without a point after their defeat at Estadi Johan Cruyff on 12 November, while Barcelona have picked up six points from a possible nine.

Previous meetings

In the first contest between the two sides, Barcelona were five goals ahead before half-time through Ewa Pajor, Francisca Nazareth, Aitana Bonmatí, Keira Walsh and Clàudia Pina. Pina added a second from the penalty spot after the break, before Caroline Graham Hansen completed the scoring in the 87th minute.

Form guide

St. Pölten

Record vs Spanish clubs W0 D0 L1 F0 A7

The defeat in Barcelona was St. Pölten's first experience of Spanish opposition.

After losing 2-0 at Hammarby on Matchday 1, Melanie Brunnthaler (40) and Kamila Dubcová (53) put the Austrian side 2-1 ahead against Manchester City on 16 October, but City responded with two further goals to take the points at the NÖ Arena.

This is the third successive season in which St. Pölten have reached the group stage, although they first featured in the Women's Champions League in 2013/14.

The Austrian side finished third on their group debut in 2022/23, losing home and away to both Wolfsburg and Roma but taking four points from Slavia Praha.

They were once again drawn alongside Slavia in Group B last season but could only pick up a single point from their six games as they finished behind their Czech opponents, Brann and Lyon.

Celia Brancão's side defeated Neftçi (5-0) and Vllaznia (1-0) in round 1 of this season's competition and then recorded an 8-0 aggregate win (3-0 h, 5-0 a) against Mura in round 2. Dubcová scored three times in those four wins, with Sophie Hillebrand, Valentina Mädl, Melike Pekel and Mateja Zver all getting two goals.

A 2-4 aggregate defeat (2-2 a, 0-2 h) to Rosengård in 2021 was the only time St. Pölten featured in the round of 16 under the previous format.

St. Pölten were Austrian champions for the ninth time in 2023/24, going the whole season unbeaten (W15 D3) and finishing ten points ahead of First Vienna.

Barcelona

Record vs Austrian clubs W1 D0 L0 F7 A0

Matchday 3 was also the first time Barcelona had faced an Austrian club.

Coupled with their record-equalling 9-0 victory against Hammarby on Matchday 2, Barcelona have scored 16 goals in their last two games in the competition. There were seven different scorers against Hammarby, Hansen (10, 75) and Pina (24, 58) both scoring twice in addition to goals from Alexia Putellas (45), María León (53), Pajor (72), Esmee Brugts (86) and Fridolina Rolfö (90pen).

Pina has four goals in her last two Women's Champions League games.

Barcelona retained the trophy by defeating eight-time winners Lyon 2-0 in last season's final in Bilbao, goals from Bonmatí (63) and Putellas (90+5) helping the Spanish side win their third title.

It was their second in succession after beating Wolfsburg 3-2 in the 2023 final in Eindhoven in which Patri Guijarro (48, 50) and Rolfö (70) found the net as the Spanish side rallied from two goals down at the break.

Barcelona have reached the final in five of the past six seasons, losing to Lyon in 2019 (1-4) and 2022 (1-3) in addition to their three triumphs.

Barcelona have also won three domestic trophies in 2024. In January they lifted the Supercopa de España Femenina before claiming a record-extending ninth Liga F title in a dominant league campaign consisting of 29 wins, one draw and no defeats. They clinched their tenth Copa de la Reina – also a record – with an 8-0 final victory against Real Sociedad on 18 May.

In charge since 2021, Jonatan Giráldez departed as head coach after last season's Champions League triumph; he has been succeeded by assistant Pere Romeu.

Key facts

St. Pölten are without a win in their last 12 group stage matches (D2 L10).

The Austrian side's only group victory is a 1-0 success at Slavia Praha on 23 November 2022.

Barcelona have won 18 of their previous 21 group games (D1 L2).

They have won 16 of their last 20 Women’s Champions League matches overall (D2 L2).

Barcelona have kept 14 clean sheets in their last 20 group fixtures.

Caroline Graham Hansen has scored seven goals in her last six group appearances for Barcelona.